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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

I have Win XP installed on my current machine, and on another machine I have Mandrake 10 installed. I would like to have both hard drives in one machine, with the ability to boot both at the same time and then swicth between them. Is this possible?

Ideally I'd like to be able to do my Win-specific work on XP, and use Mandrake as my web server and switch between them when needed. Can somebody perhaps explain how this could be done?

You'll find that many LQers dual boot and this is pretty common. A search on LQ for "Dual Boot" should pop up more threads than you'll be able to read in a week. But the simple rundown is this:[list=1][*]Install both drives in the computer setting up the Linux drive as the slave drive.[*]Install Windows to primary master (hda)[*]Insert Linux CD of choice and reboot[*]Install Linux on the Primary slave (hdb) ... this assumes that the drives are setup in this manner.[*]When it comes to installing a bootloader (either Lilo or Grub) choose to put it in the MBR of hda (the Windows Drive). It should pick up the Windows installation and add an option to the bootloader.[*]Reboot and enjoy your dual boot system.[/list=1]
That's pretty much it, unless you have some really funky hardware that Linux can't see without patching the kernel first.

I would also suggest putting the boot loader for MDK 10 on a floppy, not the hard drive.
I have installed Mandrake 10 C.E. twice along side WinXP, both times it nuked my ability to load XP. The only way I was able to get back into XP was by installing MDK 8.1 so it could reload a working boot config.